Cape of Good Hope | promontory, South Africa | Britannica.com Cape of Good Hope Alternative Title: Cape of Storms Similar Topics Cape Horn Cape of Good Hope, rocky promontory at the southern end of Cape Peninsula, Western Cape province, South Africa . It was first sighted by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 on his return voyage to Portugal after ascertaining the southern limits of the African continent. One historical account says that Dias named it Cape of Storms and that John II of Portugal renamed it Cape of Good Hope (because its discovery was a good omen that India could be reached by sea from Europe); other sources attribute its present name to Dias himself. Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Western Cape province, South Africa. © PhotoSky 4t com/Shutterstock.com Explore the popular attractions of Cape Town, South Africa, and the surrounding area, including the … Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Known for the stormy weather and rough seas encountered there, the cape is situated at the convergence of the warm Mozambique-Agulhas current from the Indian Ocean and the cool Benguela current from Antarctic waters.

Grass and low shrub vegetation is characteristic of the promontory, which is part of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (established 1939) that encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. There is a lighthouse on Cape Point about 1.2 miles (2 km) east of the Cape of Good Hope. Learn More in these related articles: Bartolomeu Dias c. 1450 May 29, 1500 at sea, near Cape of Good Hope Portuguese navigator and explorer who led the first European expedition to round the Cape of Good Hope (1488), opening the sea route to Asia via the Atlantic and Indian oceans. He is usually considered to be the greatest of the Portuguese pioneers... in European exploration: The sea route east by south to Cathay ...navigate by their coasts and the seas of Guinea.” In the same year, another Portuguese navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, found encouraging evidence that this was so. In 1487 he rounded the Cape of Storms in such bad weather that he did not see it, but he satisfied himself that the coast was now trending northeastward; before turning back, he reached the Great Fish River, in what is now...

More about Cape of Good Hope 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Cape of Good Hope - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky point on the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula. The Cape Peninsula sticks out from southwestern Africa into the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape of Good Hope gave its name to a European colony that once covered nearly all of southern Africa. The Cape Colony lasted until 1910, when it became a part of South Africa. Cape of Good Hope - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The southernmost tip of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula is called the Cape of Good Hope. It is known for the stormy weather and rough seas encountered there. One of the southernmost points in Africa, it is among the most famous capes in maritime history. Its discovery by Europeans in the 15th century opened the first all-water route from Europe to Asia. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles.

You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later.

Close Article Title: Cape of Good Hope Website Name: Encyclopædia Britannica Date Published: February 07, 2015 URL: Access Date: January 19, 2017 Share Why is the cape of Good Hope in Africa called so? - Times of India Times of India Why is the cape of Good Hope in Africa called so? Why is the cape of Good Hope in Africa called so? The Cape of Good Hope is a headland on the Atlantic coast side of South Africa. It is known for its spectacular scenery Jun 19, 2011, 04.52 AM IST The Cape of Good Hope is a headland on the Atlantic coast side of South Africa. It is known for its spectacular scenery. It was originally named the Cape of Storms by Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias in 1488. It was later renamed, by King John II of Portugal, the Cape of Good Hope because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East. Piyush Mahajan, Bangalore Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.

RELATED Intro (English) to the Resolutions of Cape of Good Hope / History of the Cape of Good Hope of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope History of the Cape of Good Hope A Portuguese discovers the sea route from Europe to India In August 1486 the Portuguese navigator, Bartholomeu Dias, set sail from the Tagus River at Lisbon with his fleet of two small vessels and a cargo ship. The objective of his journey was to sail round the southern point of Africa in order find a seaway and a trade route to India . At Angra Pequena (now Lüderitzbucht , Namibia ) he erected a cross. Then a tremendous storm forced his ships off course and he and his crew did not reach land until they entered the bay, which is known today as Mossel Bay . It was then that Dias realised that they had already passed the tip of Africa and had actually discovered the sea route to the East. The indigenous Khoi pastoralists fled when they saw the ships entering the bay. On the island of St. Croix near Algoa Bay he also erected a cross and probably kept on sailing until they reached the Fish River in the present Eastern Cape .

There the small fleet had to turn back because of insufficient supplies on board. On his return voyage Dias, elated by the realisation of having discovered the sea route to India , changed the name Cabo Tormentoso ‘cape of storms’ to Cabo da boa Esperanza ‘cape of good hope’. Portugal continued the expansion of its Indian empire and Portuguese fleets to the East regularly passed the Cape . In 1498 Vasco da Gama named the above-mentioned bay where Dias landed Aguada de Sâo Bras ‘fountain-head of St. Blaize’. On his voyage to India (1501-1502) Joâo de Nova and his fleet also visited the bay and in his turn he named it Golfo dos Vaqueiros ‘bay of herdsmen’. He also built a small chapel, the first Christian structure erected in South Africa . De Nova continued his journey and reached Rio de la Goa ‘river of the lake’, the place that was named in 1544 by Lourenço Marques after himself.

In 1503 one of the three squadrons belonging to this fleet was under the command of Antonio de Saldanha who made a navigational error and eventually reached the bay now known as Table Bay . In March 1510 the Portuguese viceroy Francisco d’ Almeida who had just established Portuguese authority in the Indian Ocean, and a number of his high-ranking officers were killed in Table Bay during a skirmish with a group of Khoi. The inhospitable coastline of Southern Africa was the most important reason why the Portuguese rulers were not interested in occupying this country. Interesting Facts About the Cape of Good Hope | USA Today Interesting Facts About the Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope was an important landmark for sailors. (Photo: Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images ) Climate in the Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope is a peninsula just outside the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The Cape of Good Hope itself is a rocky promontory at the tip of the Cape peninsula and in the past marked the point where a ship traveling south from Europe turned east. Today, most of the Cape peninsula, including the Cape of Good Hope, is part of Table Mountain National Park.

Name Origins The Cape of Good Hope's name dates from the days of exploration in the 15th century, when the European powers such as Spain and Portugal sent explorers into uncharted places in search of wealth. The first European to see the Cape was Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, who was searching for the southern limits of the African continent. According to some historical accounts, Dias named the place the "Cape of Storms," but later changed it to "Cape of Good Hope" at the suggestion of King John II of Portugal. Other accounts suggest Dias came up with the name himself. History The Cape plays an important role in South African history as a stopping point for trading ships sailing between Europe and European colonies in the east. Initially the Europeans bartered with the local Khoikhoi people for food and water but in 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a small provision station in the sheltered bay behind the Cape peninsula, forming the first European settlement in the region. Today the small station that provided refreshments to weary sailors has grown into the bustling city of Cape Town.

Nature The Cape peninsula is one of eight protected areas in the region, jointly designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the richness of its plant life. Although the 553,000 hectares of the Cape Floral Region make up only 0.5 percent of the area of Africa, nearly 20 percent of the continent's plants are represented. Fynbos, meaning "fine bush" are the most common category of plant found here and many of the species are unique to the Cape peninsula. In Table Mountain National Park, you might see park rangers working to remove invading species like the rooikrans, wattle, pine and blue gum that threaten the survival of native plants. Wildlife The Cape peninsula is also rich in wildlife, particularly birds. The shore of the peninsula is home to the cape gannet, the African black oystercatcher and four species of cormorant, but the most famous feathered residents are the colony of jackass penguins at Boulders Beach. Visit the 3,000-strong colony in False Bay to see the birds up close in one of only a small number of mainland colonies.

Wheelchair friendly walkways guide you through their environment and if you visit between February and August when the penguins are breeding you might see some fluffy baby birds. References Cape of Good Hope | Define Cape of Good Hope at Dictionary.com Cape of Good Hope a cape in S Africa, in the SW Republic of South Africa. 2. Also called Cape Province. Formerly Cape Colony . a province in the Republic of South Africa. 277,169 sq. mi. (717,868 sq. km). Capital: Cape Town. British Dictionary definitions for Cape of Good Hope Expand a cape in SW South Africa south of Cape Town Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Cape of Good Hope in Culture Expand Cape of Good Hope definition Point of land in southern South Africa , south of Cape Town . It is the southernmost tip of Africa.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. People invent new words all the time, but which ones actually make it? Word of the Day About Cape Point | Cape Point History of Cape Point Cape Point has a long and colourful history, largely due to the search for a sea route to the East, instigated by Prince Henry the Navigator. Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was the first to round the Cape Peninsula in 1488. He named it the “Cape of Storms”, for the notoriously bad weather, which can blow up quickly. A decade later, Vasco da Gama navigated the same route and sailed down the coast of Africa, successfully opening a new trading route for Europe with India and the Far East. King John II of Portugal later renamed it the “Cape of Good Hope” because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of this new sea route to India and the East. ‘The Point’ has been treated with respect by sailors since it was first sighted by Dias in 1488.

By day, it was a landmark of great navigational value until the introduction of radar. By night, and in fog, it was a menace. Ships had to approach closely to obtain bearings and thereby were exposed to the dangers of Bellows Rock and Albatross Rock. And so the lighthouse was built. The original lighthouse was built in 1859 on Da Gama Peak, the summit of Cape Point, 238m above sea level. This made it very ineffective in mist which mandated the establishment of the second lighthouse at 87 meters. The newer lighthouse, built in 1914, is the most powerful on the South African coast. It emits three flashes in a group every 30 seconds and revolves. The old lighthouse still stands here and is now used as a centralized monitoring point for all the lighthouses in South Africa. Cape Point Concession Thebe Tourism Group manages the facilities at Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park and promotes it as one of South Africa’s key tourism attractions. Facilities include the Flying Dutchman Funicular, the Two Oceans Restaurant, Food Shop and three retail shops.

The Thebe Tourism Group is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Thebe Investment Corporation . Formed in 2001, the group is the oldest black-empowered South African tourism group and has a significant portfolio in tourism and related industries, offering innovative, integrated market-driven products. Thebe Tourism Group has subsidiaries in car rental; travel agency; tour operators; foreign exchange; retail; event and exhibition management; even one of South Africa’s iconic tourist attractions. Thebe aims to be a trusted, world-class, African company that develops and invests in sustainable businesses for the long-term benefit of communities. Passionate about sharing Africa with the world and influenced strongly by African heritage, Thebe Tourism Group aspires to be a world-class pan-African group of companies, providing five-star treatment for every budget.

Cape Province | historical province, South Africa | Britannica.com historical province, South Africa Alternative Titles: Cape of Good Hope, Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaapprovinsie Related Topics Boegoebergdam Cape Province, also called Cape of Good Hope, Afrikaans Kaapprovinsie or Kaap die Goeie Hoop , former province of South Africa , occupying the southern extremity of the African continent. Prior to the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the area was known as the Cape Colony . Cape Province comprised all of southern and western South Africa. It was the largest of the four traditional provinces and contained more than half the country’s total area. Located within the province’s boundaries, but politically distinct from it, were the black states of Ciskei and parts of two others, Transkei and Bophuthatswana . The name Cape of Good Hope, while specifically referring to the promontory about 30 miles (48 km) south of Cape Town (see Cape of Good Hope ), officially applied to the whole province. The interior of what would become the Cape Colony had long been inhabited by the San and Khoekhoe peoples.

Some Xhosa and Zulu had also settled on the eastern seaboard by the 17th century. The Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa in 1488 and named it the Cape of Good Hope (Portuguese: Cabo da Boa Esperança). The first European settlement in southern Africa was established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company at Table Bay , 30 miles (48 km) north of the cape. The settlement at Table Bay became Cape Town , whose purpose was to supply fresh food and water to Dutch trading ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope on their voyages to and from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Because the Dutch East India Company’s early farming ventures at Table Bay proved inadequate for this purpose, lands were assigned to independent Dutch settlers beginning in 1657. To supplement their labour, slaves were imported, at first from West Africa and later in larger numbers from Madagascar, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and the Dutch East Indies.

As the amount of livestock obtainable from the nomadic Khoekhoe—called Hottentots (now pejorative) by the Dutch—to supply ships also proved insufficient, the company itself began to raise livestock and later encouraged the settlers to do so. Similar Topics ancient Greek civilization The cape’s early Dutch-speaking settlers gradually evolved a distinct variant of that language known as Afrikaans , and they themselves became known as Afrikaners, or Boer s. By 1700 Afrikaner grain, wine, and fruit farms were scattered along the eastern foot of Table Mountain (which overlooks Table Bay) as well as along the western foot of the small mountain ranges 30–40 miles (50–65 km) to the east. The Khoekhoe offered no resistance to this encroachment and withdrew before the colonists or accepted service with them as shepherds, guides, and interpreters; in the smallpox epidemic of 1713 thousands of them died. The surviving Khoekhoe fled, and by 1730 no remnants remained within 250 miles (400 km) of Table Bay.

At the same time, interbreeding between the whites, Khoekhoe, and slaves produced the ethnically mixed Cape Coloured people. The growing volume of shipping around the cape and the consequent demand for livestock provided the incentive for the spread of colonial sheep farmers northeastward beyond the Roggeveldberg and Hantamsberg and eastward through the plateau region of the Karoo until, by 1779, they were in contact with Bantu-speaking Xhosa peoples along the Great Fish River . Great Britain seized the Cape settlement from the Dutch in 1795 in order to keep it out of the hands of Holland’s ally, Revolutionary France. The British returned the cape to the Dutch in 1803 but occupied it again in 1806, and, at the Congress of Vienna in 1814, the Dutch permanently ceded the Cape settlement to Britain, which thenceforth ruled the area as the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, which simply became known as the Cape Colony. In the meantime, the earliest of a long-running series of Cape Frontier Wars (1779–1879) had broken out between the Afrikaners and the Xhosa peoples.

The British introduction in 1820 of some 3,500 English-speaking settlers between the Afrikaner settlers and the Xhosa failed to establish an effective buffer settlement, but it did solidify British control over the colony. The British abolished slavery in 1834 in an effort to redress some of the worst inequities between blacks and whites in the colony. The Afrikaners resented this policy and feared Britain’s attempts to Anglicize the Cape Colony at their expense. The result was the Great Trek of the late 1830s, in which about 13,000 Afrikaners left the colony, eventually to found the Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State . Britannica Stories Scientists Ponder Menopause in Killer Whales In 1853 Britain granted the Cape Colony the right to elect a bicameral legislature, though that body still had little control over the British-appointed governor-general. The voting franchise was based on property and income qualifications rather than on skin colour. The Cape Colony was granted full internal self-government in 1872, with a cabinet responsible to the legislature.

World Tour The Cape Colony repeatedly defeated the Xhosa people in the Cape Frontier Wars and gradually annexed their territories. These annexations had by 1894 advanced the frontier of the Cape Colony eastward to the Mtamvuna River, the southwestern border of the colony of Natal . All the tribal territories east of the Great Kei River were reduced to the status of tribal reserves under British colonial administration. The gradual northward diffusion of Afrikaner pastoralists across the interior plateau of the Upper Karoo had meanwhile led to the discovery in 1867 of diamonds in Griqualand West (now in central Northern Cape province). This in turn stimulated a rush of British immigrants, an influx of foreign capital, and the extension of railroads northward from Cape Town and other coastal cities far into the interior; in 1873–84 the small Cape Town–Wellington railway was extended more than 600 miles (1,000 km) inland to Kimberley . The discovery of diamonds also prompted Britain to annex Griqualand West in 1871, despite conflicting claims by the Orange Free State, and to hand it over to the Cape Colony.

As prime minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896, Cecil Rhodes tried to cement British-Afrikaner cooperation in a possible union of southern Africa’s four territories, but this was opposed by the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, which lost their independence in the South African War (1899–1902) against Britain. In 1910 the Cape Colony joined them in the new Union of South Africa as the Cape of Good Hope province, or Cape Province. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest In the union, the Cape Province was soon outstripped economically by the heavily industrialized Transvaal, which also surpassed it in population. Nor was the Cape Province’s comparatively liberal voting franchise copied by the other provinces, which continued to deny any voting rights whatsoever to nonwhite South Africans. Indeed, the Cape withdrew voting rights from Africans in 1936 and from Coloureds in 1956. The black states of Transkei and Ciskei within the province were declared “independent” by the South African government in 1976 and 1981, respectively.

These administrative creations of the apartheid system were dissolved in 1994, however, and were reincorporated back into South Africa. At that time the Cape Province was split up into three new provinces— Western Cape , Eastern Cape , and Northern Cape —with part also joining the new North-West province. More about Cape Province Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope incorporated into the world famous Table Mountain National Park "the fairest Cape in all the world" (Sir Francis Drake - 1580) Did You Know? From its rugged, rocky outcrops and sheer cliffs, to the fynbos covered plains, Cape Point holds much in store for its visitors. Taste local seafood fare from the Two Oceans Restaurant, perched high above crashing waves and take in sweeping views of False Bay. Experience an exhilarating ride in the Flying Dutchman funicular, which rises 238 meters above the ocean to where the old lighthouse keeps watch over the seas. Find just the right souvenir at Cape Point curio shops, such as the Logo Store or Lighthouse 5.

Cape Point's fynbos plains are home to 1'200 species of indigenous plants, various small mammals, many antelopes, as well as ostriches and zebras; not forgetting the Chacma baboons. You are at the south-westernmost tip of Africa, and the adventure has just begun. Visitors Centre Ph: 021 780 9010/11. Fax: 021 780 9203 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. HISTORY Situated at the junction of two of earth's most contrasting water masses - the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast , the Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Geographically, however, the Indian Ocean joins the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Agulhas. The local authority proclaimed the area a nature reserve in 1938 and it was incorporated into the Table Mountain National Park in 1998.

It encompasses 7'750 hectares of rich and varied flora and fauna and its 40 kilometre coastline stretches from Schuster's Bay in the west to Smitswinkel Bay in the east. The cliffs at the southern point, towering more than 200 metres above the sea, consists of three clearly defined promontories - Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point. History of human habitation dates back to the early Stone Age, and San hunter-gatherers and Khoi pastoralists lived here. Many middens are found along the coast. Early European seafarers who circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope include the 15th century Portuguese explorers, Bartholomew Dias and Vasco Da Gama , whose journeys led to the establishment of the Cape sea route to the East To commemorate their voyages of discovery, two navigational beacons have been erected at strategic points. In 1488, Dias named the peninsula Cabo Tormentoso, or the Cape of Storms. Portugal's King John II later gave it the name Cabo da Boa Esperanca, the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1580, Sir Francis Drake described it as "The most stately thing and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth". Olifantsbos Cottage Situated next to the Olifantsbos beach. This Self catering cottage has a master bedroom with a comfortable orthopedic queen bed, 2 bedrooms with 2 ¾ beds, a bathroom with bath and shower. A fully equipped kitchen with gas stove and fridge opens up to the lounge area whit a jet master fire place. Dinner can be enjoyed on the covered stoep where guest can sip cocktails while watching the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean. There is a braai facility on the stoep as well as a boma where one can exchange stories around a huge fire. The annex can accommodate a further 6 persons and has its own shower and toilet. The whole facility is solar powered. Truly a piece of heaven on earth. Eland & Duiker Cottages 10 minutes drive away from Olifantsbos beach there are two family cottages. Eland, Bontebok and Zebra graze on the front lawn of these cottages. The cottages can accommodate 6 persons.

The master bedroom has a comfortable orthopedic queen bed, 2 bedrooms with 2 ¾ beds, a bathroom and toilet. These self catering units are fully equipped and you need only bring your food. Both cottages are equipped with a Jet master fire place. Both cottages have outside braai areas. Cape of Good Hope Two day hiking trail: Nature Lovers can enjoy hours of hiking through unspoiled fynbos on the Cape of Good Hope Hiking trail. This 2-day hike starts at the Main Gate, moves down to Smitswinkel Bay, up to Kanonkop, then down towards the Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre is a great place to discover the area's natural and cultural heritage and also a place to recharge the batteries and refill water bottles, before continuing across to Rooikranse. Here you will spend the night in one of 3 overnight huts (each hut sleeps 6 persons). The walk to the famous Cape Point lighthouse is a must. The journey continues on the second day, along the coast to Pegram's point, Platboom, Hoek van Bobejaan and then turns inland to Sirkelsvlei and ends again at the Main Gate.

Secure parking is provided at the start of the trail at the Main Gate. A drop off service for bags and wood can be arranged upon arrival. For prices, further information or to book, contact Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre on Ph: (021) 780 9204 or Fax: (021) 780 9321. The centre is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00. BIRD WATCHING With its diverse habitats, ranging from rocky mountain tops to beaches and open sea, the Cape of Good Hope is home to at least 250 species of birds. On land, the most notable species are ostrich and raptors like the Rock Kestrel, Black-Shouldered Kite, Fish Eagle, Black Eagle, Spotted Eagle Owl and Jackal Buzzard. "Bush birds" tend to be rather scarce because of the coarse, scrubby nature of fynbos vegetation. When flowering, however, proteas and ericas attract sunbirds, sugar-birds and other species in search of nectar. For most of the year, there are more small birds in coastal thicket than in fynbos.

The beaches and rocky shores are frequented by Black Oystercatchers, Kelp Gulls, Curlew Sandpipers, Whitefronted Plovers and Hautlaub's Gulls. NATURE DISCOVERY - BUSH WALKS The Cape of Good Hope is an integral part of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, the smallest, but richest of the world's six floral kingdoms. This comprises a treasure trove of 1'100 species of indigenous plants, of which a number are endemic. Two types of fynbos ("fine bush"), coastal fynbos on alkaline sands and inland fynbos on acid soils, are found. Characteristic fynbos plants include proteas, ericas (heath) and restios (reeds). Some of the most striking and well-known members belong to the Proteacae family, of which up to 24 species occur. Many popular horticultural plants like pelargoniums, freesias, daisies, lilies and irises, also have their origins in fynbos.

SPECIALISED GUIDING - LIGHTHOUSES "The Point" has not been called the "Cape of Storms" for nothing and has therefore been treated with respect by sailors since it was first sighted by Dias in 1488. By day, it was a landmark of great navigational value until the introduction of the radar. By night, and in fog, it was a menace. Ships had to approach closely to obtain bearings and thereby were exposed to the dangers of Bellow Rock and Albatross Rock. In 1860 the first lighthouse was completed, 238 metres above sea-level. However, this light was often obscured by mist and fog. In 1913 construction was started on a second lighthouse on Dias Point, some 87 meters above sea-level. This second light was first lit at sunset on 11 March 1919, and remains the most powerful on the South African coast. The original lighthouse still stands on the highest section of the peak and is now used as the centralised monitoring point for all the lighthouses on the coast of South Africa.

HISTORICAL NAVAL TOURS - SHIPWRECKS Once of the Cape's most famous legends involves a ship named the Flying Dutchman. In 1680, the vessel foundered whilst rounding the Cape in heavy weather. The captain, Hendrik van der Decken, swore while his ship was sin king, that he would round the Cape if it took him until doomsday. Some believe that he has kept his word, as over the years the Flying Dutchman is said to have been sighted on many occasions. A well-know shipwreck is that of the Lusitania, which struck Bellows Rock in thick fog at midnight on 18 April 1911. This was one of the reasons why the present lighthouse was built. The remains of at least 23 shipwrecks lie along the coastline , only five of which can still be seen - at Olifantsbos, Duikersklip, Hoek van Bobbejaan, Dias Beach and Buffels Bay. The remains of two wrecks near Olifantsbos can be reached from the beach.

These are the Thomas T Tucker, which ran aground during World War II and the Nolleth, wrecked in 1965. DIVING, SURFING AND MARINE LIFE The area offers excellent vantage points for whale viewing. The Southern Right Whale is the species most likely to be seen in False Bay between June and November. Others species are the Humpback Whale and Bryde's Whale. Seals and dolphins may also be seen. The strategic position of Cape of Good Hope between two major ocean currents, ensures a rich diversity of marine life. There is a difference between the sea life west of Cape Point and that to the east due to the markedly differing sea temperatures. The South African Marine Living Resources Act is strictly enforced throughout the Table Mountain National Park, and especially in marine protected areas. Disturbance or removal of any marine organisms is strictly prohibited between Schusters Bay and Hoek van Bobbejaan, but is allowed in other areas during season and with relevant permits. From Hoek van Bobbejaan to Cape Point, the removal or disturbance of any intertidal organisms is prohibited. Please refer to Marine and Coastal Management regulations before undertaking any recreational diving or angling activities in the Park.

ANIMAL SIGHTINGS - FAUNA Due to sandy soils, the area is unable to sustain a number of large animals and those that are present are not easily seen. However, there is a wealth of insects, lizards, tortoises (including the Cape Angulate Tortoise), frogs and snakes such as the Puff Adder, Cape Cobra, Mole Snake and Boomslang. Mammals include Cape Mountain Zebra, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax ("dassie"), Genet, Lynx, Striped Field Mouse, Cape Grey and Water Mongoose, and Cape Clawless Otter. Eight species of antelope are also found here: Bontebok, Eland, Cape Grysbok, Red Hartebeest, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok and Grey Duiker. Klipspringers have been re-established recently after an absence of almost 70 years. Did you say baboons? The Chacma Baboon ( Papio ursinus) troops on the Cape Peninsula are the only protected population of this species in Africa. They subsist on fruits, roots, honey, bulbs, insects and scorpions.

During low tide, they may be seen roaming the beaches, feeding on sandhoppers and shellfish, behaviour believed to be unusual in primates. Please be aware that baboons can be dangerous and are attracted by food. Visitors must not feed or tease them. DO keep a safe distance from baboons DO move away slowly if a baboon approaches you DO NOT display food when baboons are visible DO NOT open the windows or doors of you car when baboons are present DO NOT feed baboons. You will be fined. DID YOU KNOW? Cape Point is also a WORLD WEATHER STATION. The South African Weather Bureau, together with the Fraunhofer Institute in Garmisch, Germany, maintains a research laboratory at Cape Point to monitor longterm changes in the chemistry of the earth's atmosphere, which may impact upon climate. The laboratory, which was architecturally designed to blend into the western slopes of Cape Point , is one of the World Meteorological Organisations' 20 Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) stations. It monitors environmentally important air components, including trace gases like ozone, methane and carbon dioxide, as well as solar radiation and various meteorological parameters.

The air at Cape Point is regarded as being particularly pure for most of the time, thereby providing insights into such phenomenon a stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change. How the Cape of Good Hope Got its Name « Taj – Cape Town How the Cape of Good Hope Got its Name Posted by: Taj Cape Town | Posted in History | on: March 30, 2010 It has been many a year since the Cape of Good Hope was referred to by this olden-day moniker. Nowadays, locals, foreigners and seafarers alike refer to it simply as the Cape – but the story of how the region got its name is an interesting one nonetheless. Top station of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (image by Cape Town Media – the time it was discovered in 1488 by Bartolomeu Dias, the Cape was celebrated for its beauty and maritime importance. However, when the Portuguese explorer first came upon the region it was its perilous seas, rather than its scenery or nautical significance, that made the greatest impression upon him. Thus, he named it The Cape of Storms – or Cabo das Tormentas – for the dangerous waters and inclement weather that had put paid to many an exploration.

However, although treacherous, the Cape of Storms also presented much hope and relief to the sailors who later arrived on its shores. Not only did it mean that fresh water and supplies would soon be available, but it also provided a valuable channel to India and the East. Thus, it was later renamed Cape of Good Hope – Cabo da Boa Esperança. From then on, the term “Cape of Good Hope” was used to refer to the entire region, until it became the Cape Province in 1901. It’s also interesting to note that during the time of Jan van Riebeeck, Cape Town was known as The Tavern of the Seas, due to the fact that it provided vital supplies to sailors travelling around Africa.

Question: What is the former name of Cape of Good Hope?
Answer: THE CAPE OF STORMS